Display tray



April 1941- 5. J. MANDO arm. 2.237.276

DI SPLAY TRAY Filed Feb; 6, 1940 Patentecl Apr. 1, 1941 DISPLAY TRAY Samuel J. Mando and Emil Wilking, Chicago, Ill.,

assignors to Walter H. Johnson Candy 00., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois 7 Application February 6, 1940, Serial No. 317,602

3 Claims.

This invention relates to display trays or racks and, among other objects, aims to provide a greatly improved, strong and durable self-supporting tray for displaying articles of merchandise adapted to be assembled without the use of tools or ordinary screws, bolts and the like. The main idea is to provide a device of this type in which a single piece of resilient, bendable sheet material, constituting the article carrier, is snapped into interlocking engagement with its supports and serves to reinforce the Whole structure. Another aim is to provide an easily assembled metal tray which can be manufactured at a minimum cost and shipped knocked-down.

Other aims and advantages of the invention will appear in the specification, when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. l is a front elevation of a metal tray embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the tray shown in Fig; 1; and

Figs. 3 and 4 are fragmentary sectional views through the tray.

Referring particularly to the drawing, the tray, there shown, is especially designed for use in displaying small articles of merchandise, such as candy, confections and the like. It is shown as having a pair of supporting members I!) in the form of cast metal crescent-shaped ribs or standards, each having a pair of integral feet H providing stable supports on a fiat surface. They 'lol are shown as having arcuate seat portions I2 terminating at their forward and rear ends in looking lugs or shoulders l3 and M. In this instance, the bottoms of the seat portions have spaced, upstanding supporting lugs l5. The arrangement of the shoulders is such that a bent or deformed carrying sheet I6 of resilient and bend:

able material, in the form of the segment of a cylinder, is adapted to be snapped into place so that it will rest upon the spaced bottom lugs l5 and against the arcuate inner edges of the supports adjacent to the shoulders I3 and I4. It will be understood that the arcuate width of the sheet is slightly greater than the distance between the shoulders. In this example, it is shown as having spaced notches l1 and I8 at the front and rear edges adapted to embrace and interlock with the side faces of the supporting members on opposite sides of the shoulders l3 and Hi to prevent relative longitudinal displacement of the supports after the tray sheet is snapped into place.

To provide convenient means for handling the assembled trays and to display suitable advertising matter above the merchandise stored therein,

the supports have upwardly and forwardly curved arms l9 terminating at a point above approxi- 'mately the center of the tray and a sheet metal 1 advertising sign or strip 20 is connected to the forward ends of these arms by friction pins 2| or other suitable, easily removable securing means.

The plate may carry advertising matter on both space, the tray sections being adapted to be nested To assemble a tray, it is only necessary together. to engage one edge of the sheet IS with the front or rear stop shoulders on each of the supporting members and then bend or deform the opposite edge of the sheet to reduce its radius of curvature slightly, so that it will snap into engagement with the opposite shoulders on the respective supports. When the pressure applied by the thumb or fingers is released, the resiliency of the sheet metal will cause it to expand or tend to assume its normal curvature and exert powerful edgewise pressure against the front and rear shoulders. It is to be understood that either or both of the shoulders on each supporting member or standard may have shallow kerfs to receive the opposite edges of the tray sheet. In any case, the tray sheet will interlock with the supports and cannot be accidentally dislodged. If it is desired to dismantle the tray, it will be understood that pressure may be applied by hand and one edge of the sheet snapped out of its engagement with the shoulders as shown in Fig. 4.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that such trays can be manufactured at a minimum cost because special machine and assembling operations are eliminated. The supports and tray sections can be shipped knocked-down with the tray sections nested and a customer or purchaser supplied with simple directions for assembling .them. They are very attractive in appearance and effective as a novel advertising medium.

Obviously, the present invention is not restricted to the particular embodiment thereof herein shown and described.

What is claimed is:

1. A display tray of the class described comprising, in combination, a pair of crescent-shaped supporting members having feet and providing concave seats; locking shoulders at the ends of said seats; and a bendable sheet metal tray memand a bendable sheet metal tray member in the form of the segment of a cylinder of slightly greater normal width than the length of said seats between the shoulders deformed and snapped into expanding engagement with said shoulders, said tray member having notches straddling said shoulders to prevent relative displacement of the supporting members.

3. A display tray of the class described comprising, in combination, a pair of crescent-shaped supporting members having feet and providing seats; locking shoulders at the ends of said seats;

a bendable sheet metal tray member in the form of the segment of a cylinder of slightly greater normal width than the length of said seats between the shoulders deformed and snapped into expanding engagement with said shoulders, said tray member having notches straddling said shoulders to prevent relative displacement of the supporting members; forwardly extending arms on said supporting members above the tray; and

a bracing plate removably connected to the upper 1 ends of said arms.

' SAMUEL J. MANDO.

EMIL WILKING. 

